Essex: 50 schools fitted with crumbling concrete, says council

About 50 school buildings in Essex have been fitted with dangerous concrete, with several told to delay the start of term, a council said.

Kevin Bentley, the leader at Essex County Council, said he had requested an "urgent meeting" with the secretary of state over the sudden news.

More than 100 schools in England were told on Thursday to shut before term started, with Essex thought to be the area most affected.

One parent said it was a "shambles".

Mr Bentley, Conservative, told BBC Essex: "We are now working with teachers and also experts in our department to make sure children's education is disrupted as little as possible, and the focus on their safety and the teachers' safety is paramount."

He said 14 of the 50 buildings in Essex were local authority maintained schools.

The Essex County Council-governed area does not include Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea, where more schools are affected.

Mr Bentley added: "It would have been better, of course, to have known about this at the beginning of the summer, not with a few days to go."

Hayley, a parent at St Andrew's Junior School in Hatfield Peverel, told the BBC she wanted to "cry, shout and scream" when she received a letter informing her the site would not reopen next week.

"To turn around to my son and say you're not starting school next week has been a bit heart-breaking," said Hayley, who worked full-time and said finding emergency childcare was "a bit of a mission".

Rhys, aged seven, said he felt "a bit sad" and had been looking forward to seeing his best friend.

Janet Emberson, 72, has two grandchildren at the school and expected to pick up more childcare while they completed online learning at home.

"It [the school closure] should have been done years ago and it shouldn't have got to this situation," she said.

Reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) was used in public buildings between the 1960s and 1980s and has an expected lifespan of 30 years.

The Department for Education (DfE) said it had been aware of problems with RAAC since 1994 and advised schools in 2018 to implement "adequate contingencies".

Duncan Campbell has two children at White Hall Academy in Clacton-on-Sea and was told the site would be closed for at least two extra days next week.

"The school have been fantastic but the DfE have let them down," said Mr Campbell.

"It sounds like the whole thing is going to get worse before it gets better."

Phil, a parent at a school in Chelmsford that has been ordered to close, told BBC Radio 5 Live: "After all the children went through during the pandemic, it's just more upheaval at the start of a new year.

"It just seems to be a bit of a shambles to be honest."

Sir Bernard Jenkin, the Conservative MP for Harwich and North Essex, said eight schools had been affected in his constituency, with a further two still subject to surveys.

"I was quite staggered. I had no idea the problem was so widespread and so concentrated in Essex," he said.

Children at Mistley Norman Church of England primary, which is in Sir Bernard's constituency, have been taught at another school site since April because of the RAAC.

Kingsdown School, a special school in Southend-on-Sea for children aged from three to 14, was also told to close its main building.

Head teacher Louise Robinson said her team was having "very difficult conversations" with parents and hoped a solution could be found, so it could "at least partially" reopen.

Southend-on-Sea City Council said it was working with the school and the DfE to develop contingency plans.

Schools affected by RAAC in Essex include:

List last updated Monday 4 September

Thurrock Council said four schools were affected in its borough and that it was working with the DfE and the academy trusts to "minimise any disruption".

The DfE said "any space or area with confirmed RAAC should no longer be open without mitigations in place".

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